Toothbush



April 19, 1927. 1,625,537

7 a... GULLICKSON TOOTHBRUSH Filed y 25. 1926 Qvwentoz Patented Apr. 19, 1927.

UNITED STATES FRANCIS L. GULLICKSON, OF WEST SALEM, WISCONSIN.

TOOTHBRUSH.

Application filed May 25, 1926. Serial No. 111,564.

This invention relates to new and useful improvementsin tooth brushes particularly, although my invention may from certain aspects be employed in connection with other types of brushes.

It is a well known fact that a tooth brush which is used regularly accumulates unused paste and debris at. the base of the bristles. This condition shortens the period of usefulness of the brush and necessitates the brush being discarded before the bristles' are worn to any depreciable extent.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a tooth brush which iS SO constructed that it. may be readily and thoroughly cleaned.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a readily removable intermediate bristle carrying section whereby the bristles may be thoroughly cleaned each time after the brush has been used;.

A further object of.my invention is to provide the brush head with a removable bristle carrying section and to, provide means for maintaining the section in its assembled relation and without any danger whatsoever of resulting in injury to the user.

With these and other objects in view which will more fully appear and the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by following the description, the appended claims, and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a brush constructed in accordance with my invention,

Figure 2 is a bottom plan View thereof,

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a detailed sectional view taken on the line L4 of Figure 3, and

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the brush parts in disassembled relation.

Like numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings in detail, I have shown a tooth brush A which consists of a head 5 and a rearwardly extending and upwardly curved handle 6. Attached to the head 5 is a brush B and formed in the under face of the head 5 is a longitudinally extending seat? having undercut side walls 8-43. This seat is disposed intermediate longitudinal rows bf bristles 99 which are secured to the head. The seat extends rearwardly towards the handle but terminates short thereof.

Removably fitted within the seat 7 is a head-section 10 having inclined side walls for engagement with the side walls 8=-8 of the seat 7. The removable section 10 carries one or more longitudinal rows of bristles 11.

In order to provide means for frictionally retaining the section 10 in its assembled position in the seat 7, I have provided a U-shaped spring metal clip 12 having spaced legs 13-13 and a connecting portion 141, the, ends of the legs being inturned as at 15-15 to form anchoring feet. The clip 12 is seated in a groove 16 which is located at the forward end of the brush and is conjointly formed in the sidewalls of the head and in the forward end of the-removable section 10, the rear ends of the groove being formed with seats17-17 for receivingthe seat 15. The diameter of the groove 16 is substantially equal'to although preferably a little greater than the diameter of the clip 12 so as to insure the clip from projecting beyond the side faces of the head and beyond the end of the section. Thus the clip will not interfere or injure the mouth of the user of the brush. The clip will be frictionally retained in position by reason of the frictional engagement between the seat 15 and the walls of the seat 17 and consequently the removable section 10 will be firmly held in its assembled relation. When, however, it is desirable to remove this section 10, the clip 12 may be easily withdrawn by the fingers of the user and the section subsequently removed. This construction permits of the bristles 9 and 11 being readily cleaned and all accumulations which have been deposited around the bristles adjacent the head removed therefrom.

In order to provide a positive locking means for the removable section 10, I may employ a transversely disposed locking pin which has interlocking engagement between the head and the section. To this end, I have provided the under face of the head, at a point in rear of the bristles, with a transverse seat 18 which intersects the longitudinal seat 7. The side walls of the seat 18 anderent and this seat registers with a seat 1t) oi" corresponding shape itOllllUd in the under lace oi. the rear end ot the removable section 'l() )t locking; pin 20 having a moss-sectional shape corresponding to the grooves 18 and ill) is adapted to he slidahly positioned and frietionally held within the grooves 18 and 1th thereh positively looking the section '10 against relative longitudinal movements.

it will he understood that the U-shaped rlip 12 may he used without the transverse ltlt'lillljj: pin 20. or the transverse pin 20 may he used without the U-shaped clip .12. or hoth the U-shaped clip 12 and the trans- \QYHU leehii'ip; pin Eli) may he used together.

it is et course to he uiulerstood that the details ol. structure and arraoejernenls of parts may he variously ehanged and modilied without departing from the spirit and seope oi my invention.

I claim:

1.. in a tooth hrusln the eoin ination with a head and a handle extending thereiroln, the head heine; termed. in its under tare with a centrally disposed longitlulinal seat, having undercut side walls, rows of; hrislles seemed to the head on opposite side of the seat. and a remorahle head set-lion slidahly mounted in said seat for longitiulinal movement and provided with a row of lirist'loe (-1- tending longitudinally ol? said section. the side walls of the outer end of the head and the outer end of the head-section heing eonjointly formed with a groove, and a llshaped clip frietionally seated in said groove to retain said section in its assembled position in said seat.

9. in a tooth hrush, the oon'ihination with a head and. a handle extending therefrom, the head heing termed in its under lace with a ee'ntr: lly disposed longitudinal seat havin undercut side walls, rows ot bristles secured to the l ea l on opposite sides ot the seat, and a removable head section slidahly mounted in said seat for longitudinal morenient and provided with a row of hristles ntending li'mg itudinally o'l' said sections, the side walls ol the outer end of the head being respeetirely formed with seats and a tl-.-=haped clip positioned around the outer end ot the head and having llltlll'lll'ftil feet for t'rietionally engaging in said seats to retain said section in its assen'ihled position.

in a tooth ln'ush. the minhination with a head and a handle extending; therefrom, the head heinn' termed in its under lane with a centrally disposed longitiulinal seat harinn undercut side walls. rows of bristles e cured to the head on opposite sides of the Seat. and a remorahle head section slidahly mounted in said seat for loiuxitudh'ial moveineni and provided with a row of hristles extending longitudinally ol said seeion, the side walls oi the outer end of the head and the outer end of the head-section being eonjointly formed with a groove, said side walls being also formed with seats and a lilshaped clip seated in said groove and hea ing intnrned feet for frietionally engaging with said seats to retain said section in its assembled position.

In testimony whereo't I hereunto atlix my signature.

FRANCIS L. GULTLICKQJON. 

